


En Avant

by velljob



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: American Football, Ballet, Ballet Dancer!Bucky, Football Player!Steve, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25221208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velljob/pseuds/velljob
Summary: Football player Steve Rogers has to take ballet lessons to improve his game.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	En Avant

_This is hell. I'm in hell._

"And move into the demi-plié. Plié, plié, pl- no, Steve, bend your knees more, like this."

_I'm in hell and Bucky Barnes is the Devil._

It was Steve's third torture session at Barnes Ballet and barre work was not getting any easier. In fact, he would have started to think it was impossible for his two hundred fifty pound frame to do any of the motions they had been working on … except for Bucky Barnes.

Though leaner, and without Steve's massive shoulders, Bucky was just as tall and just as muscular as Steve himself was, and he was effortlessly plié-ing in time to the slow throb of the soft background music. Steve watched as his instructor's perfect thighs didn't quiver at all as he practically bounced in and out of the stance they had been working on.

"See? You're too rigid," Bucky offered, snapping Steve out of his reverie about shapely legs. He smiled his perfect smile at Steve and stepped away from the barre again to watch his next attempt.

Steve pushed himself further down towards the floor, gritting his teeth against the pain in his thighs and hamstrings.

"You're curving your back again," Barnes murmured, stepping forward to place a hand flat on Steve's stomach and back. Steve felt his blush darken just a shade.

"Tuck your butt in," his teacher said, apparently oblivious to Steve's suffering. "There you go. Three more - plié, plié, plié and rest."

Trying to look casual as he dipped to the floor for his water bottle, Steve tried to ignore the shaking in his legs and the grin on Bucky's face. When his coach had suggested ballet to strengthen his core muscles and make him lighter on his feet, he had been skeptical. He trained six days out of seven - sometimes seven out of seven - so he was pretty fit. What could a dance class really teach him?

Now he dreaded his weekly sessions with his dance instructor.

"You're doing a lot better," Bucky said as Steve guzzled water and wiped his forehead with a towel. "You know it takes years for most people to master this. Plus your muscles are so tight from football it's no wonder you can't bend. Did you do those stretches I showed you?"

"Yeah," Steve said, refraining from telling Bucky the teasing he'd endured from his housemates when they'd found him stretching his legs all over the house, using whatever furniture he could find as a barre.

"Well those should help," Bucky smiled, the warmth of his expression reaching right into his dazzling blue eyes. Steve ducked his head, blushing at his bag as he packed up his belongings.

The door opened and Bucky's next class swarmed in. Bucky clapped his hands, obviously happy to see his students. "Welcome ladies! Come on in and get ready for our lesson!"

The gaggle of three and four year old girls clustered around Bucky, chattering at him, and Bucky laughed, waving to Steve as he weaved through the dance mothers and out the door.

Steve's heart gave a dangerous lurch.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you would like to see more of this idea. I had a blast writing this much! 
> 
> I'm happy to be critiqued on my writing if you have thoughts or if you see typos etc.


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